According to results of the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), an estimated 64% of U.S. adults aged 20 years and older are classified as overweight or obese. Among U.S. adults, obesity has doubled since 1980, increasing from 15% in 1980 to 31% in 2000, and the percentage of children and adolescents who are defined as overweight has more than doubled since the early 1970s.
Overweight and obese adults are at increased risk for physical ailments such as--
- Coronary heart disease
- Congestive heart failure
- Stroke
More than 61 million Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease (CVD), including high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, and other conditions. More than 2,600 Americans die each day of CVD. That is an average of 1 death every 33 seconds. CVDs cost the nation an estimated $300 billion annually, including health expenditures and lost productivity.
Research conducted in California, Minnesota, and Rhode Island during the 1980s demonstrated how community interventions that improve our environment are particularly effective in reducing heart disease and stroke throughout the entire community.
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyplaces/healthtopics/physactivity.htm
